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All's Well That Ends Well/Act 2
ACT II. SCENE 1. Paris. A room in the King's palace. Enter the King, with young LORDS taking leave for the Florentine war; BERTRAM, PAROLLES, and Attendants. KING. :Farewell, young lord; these war-like principles :Do not throw from you:—and you, my lord, farewell;— :Share the advice betwixt you; if both gain all, :The gift doth stretch itself as 'tis received, :And is enough for both. FIRST LORD. :It is our hope, sir, :After well-enter'd soldiers, to return :And find your grace in health. KING. :No, no, it cannot be; and yet my heart :Will not confess he owes the malady :That doth my life besiege. Farewell, young lords; :Whether I live or die, be you the sons :Of worthy Frenchmen; let higher Italy,— :Those bated that inherit but the fall :Of the last monarchy,—see that you come :Not to woo honour, but to wed it; when :The bravest questant shrinks, find what you seek, :That fame may cry you aloud: I say farewell. SECOND LORD. :Health, at your bidding, serve your majesty! KING. :Those girls of Italy, take heed of them; :They say our French lack language to deny, :If they demand: beware of being captives :Before you serve. BOTH. :Our hearts receive your warnings. KING. :Farewell.—Come hither to me. king retires to a couch. FIRST LORD. :O my sweet lord, that you will stay behind us! PAROLLES. :'Tis not his fault; the spark— SECOND LORD. :O, 'tis brave wars! PAROLLES. :Most admirable: I have seen those wars. BERTRAM. :I am commanded here and kept a coil with, :'Too young' and next year' and ''tis too early.' PAROLLES. :An thy mind stand to it, boy, steal away bravely. BERTRAM. :I shall stay here the forehorse to a smock, :Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry, :Till honour be bought up, and no sword worn :But one to dance with! By heaven, I'll steal away. FIRST LORD. :There's honour in the theft. PAROLLES. :Commit it, count. SECOND LORD. :I am your accessary; and so farewell. BERTRAM. :I grow to you, and our parting is a tortured body. FIRST LORD. :Farewell, captain. SECOND LORD. :Sweet Monsieur Parolles! PAROLLES. :Noble heroes, my sword and yours are kin. Good sparks and :lustrous, a word, good metals.—You shall find in the regiment of :the Spinii one Captain Spurio, with his cicatrice, an emblem of :war, here on his sinister cheek; it was this very sword :entrenched it: say to him I live; and observe his reports for me. FIRST LORD. :We shall, noble captain. PAROLLES. :Mars dote on you for his novices! LORDS. :What will ye do? BERTRAM. :Stay; the king— PAROLLES. :Use a more spacious ceremony to the noble lords; you have :restrained yourself within the list of too cold an adieu: be more :expressive to them; for they wear themselves in the cap of the :time; there do muster true gait; eat, speak, and move, under the :influence of the most received star; and though the devil lead :the measure, such are to be followed: after them, and take a more :dilated farewell. BERTRAM. :And I will do so. PAROLLES. :Worthy fellows; and like to prove most sinewy sword-men. BERTRAM and PAROLLES. LAFEU. LAFEU. :Pardon, my lord kneeling, for me and for my tidings. KING. :I'll fee thee to stand up. LAFEU. :Then here's a man stands that has bought his pardon. :I would you had kneel'd, my lord, to ask me mercy; :And that at my bidding you could so stand up. KING. :I would I had; so I had broke thy pate, :And ask'd thee mercy for't. LAFEU. :Good faith, across; :But, my good lord, 'tis thus: will you be cured :Of your infirmity? KING. :No. LAFEU. :O, will you eat :No grapes, my royal fox? yes, but you will :My noble grapes, and if my royal fox :Could reach them: I have seen a medicine :That's able to breathe life into a stone, :Quicken a rock, and make you dance canary :With spritely fire and motion; whose simple touch :Is powerful to araise King Pipin, nay, :To give great Charlemain a pen in his hand :And write to her a love-line. KING. :What 'her' is that? LAFEU. :Why, doctor 'she': my lord, there's one arriv'd, :If you will see her,—now, by my faith and honour, :If seriously I may convey my thoughts :In this my light deliverance, I have spoke :With one that in her sex, her years, profession, :Wisdom, and constancy, hath amaz'd me more :Than I dare blame my weakness: will you see her,— :For that is her demand,—and know her business? :That done, laugh well at me. KING. :Now, good Lafeu, :Bring in the admiration; that we with the :May spend our wonder too, or take off thine :By wondering how thou took'st it. LAFEU. :Nay, I'll fit you, :And not be all day neither. LAFEU. KING. :Thus he his special nothing ever prologues. LAFEU with HELENA. LAFEU. :Nay, come your ways. KING. :This haste hath wings indeed. LAFEU. :Nay, come your ways; :This is his majesty: say your mind to him. :A traitor you do look like; but such traitors :His majesty seldom fears: I am Cressid's uncle, :That dare leave two together: fare you well. Exit. KING. :Now, fair one, does your business follow us? HELENA. :Ay, my good lord. Gerard de Narbon was :My father; in what he did profess, well found. KING. :I knew him. HELENA. :The rather will I spare my praises towards him. :Knowing him is enough. On his bed of death :Many receipts he gave me; chiefly one, :Which, as the dearest issue of his practice, :And of his old experience the only darling, :He bade me store up as a triple eye, :Safer than mine own two, more dear: I have so: :And, hearing your high majesty is touch'd :With that malignant cause wherein the honour :Of my dear father's gift stands chief in power, :I come to tender it, and my appliance, :With all bound humbleness. KING. :We thank you, maiden: :But may not be so credulous of cure,— :When our most learned doctors leave us, and :The congregated college have concluded :That labouring art can never ransom nature :From her inaidable estate,—I say we must not :So stain our judgment, or corrupt our hope, :To prostitute our past-cure malady :To empirics; or to dissever so :Our great self and our credit, to esteem :A senseless help, when help past sense we deem. HELENA. :My duty, then, shall pay me for my pains: :I will no more enforce mine office on you; :Humbly entreating from your royal thoughts :A modest one to bear me back again. KING. :I cannot give thee less, to be call'd grateful. :Thou thought'st to help me; and such thanks I give :As one near death to those that wish him live: :But what at full I know, thou know'st no part; :I knowing all my peril, thou no art. HELENA. :What I can do can do no hurt to try, :Since you set up your rest 'gainst remedy. :He that of greatest works is finisher :Oft does them by the weakest minister: :So holy writ in babes hath judgment shown, :When judges have been babes. Great floods have flown :From simple sources; and great seas have dried :When miracles have by the greatest been denied. :Oft expectation fails, and most oft there :Where most it promises; and oft it hits :Where hope is coldest, and despair most fits. KING. :I must not hear thee: fare thee well, kind maid; :Thy pains, not used, must by thyself be paid: :Proffers, not took, reap thanks for their reward. HELENA. :Inspired merit so by breath is barred: :It is not so with Him that all things knows, :As 'tis with us that square our guess by shows: :But most it is presumption in us when :The help of heaven we count the act of men. :Dear sir, to my endeavours give consent: :Of heaven, not me, make an experiment. :I am not an impostor, that proclaim :Myself against the level of mine aim; :But know I think, and think I know most sure, :My art is not past power nor you past cure. KING. :Art thou so confident? Within what space :Hop'st thou my cure? HELENA. :The greatest grace lending grace. :Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring :Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring; :Ere twice in murk and occidental damp :Moist Hesperus hath quench'd his sleepy lamp; :Or four-and-twenty times the pilot's glass :Hath told the thievish minutes how they pass; :What is infirm from your sound parts shall fly, :Health shall live free, and sickness freely die. KING. :Upon thy certainty and confidence :What dar'st thou venture? HELENA. :Tax of impudence,— :A strumpet's boldness, a divulged shame,— :Traduc'd by odious ballads; my maiden's name :Sear'd otherwise; ne worse of worst extended, :With vilest torture let my life be ended. KING. :Methinks in thee some blessed spirit doth speak; :His powerful sound within an organ weak: :And what impossibility would slay :In common sense, sense saves another way. :Thy life is dear; for all that life can rate :Worth name of life in thee hath estimate: :Youth, beauty, wisdom, courage, all :That happiness and prime can happy call; :Thou this to hazard needs must intimate :Skill infinite or monstrous desperate. :Sweet practiser, thy physic I will try: :That ministers thine own death if I die. HELENA. :If I break time, or flinch in property :Of what I spoke, unpitied let me die; :And well deserv'd. Not helping, death's my fee; :But, if I help, what do you promise me? KING. :Make thy demand. HELENA. :But will you make it even? KING. :Ay, by my sceptre and my hopes of heaven. HELENA. :Then shalt thou give me, with thy kingly hand :What husband in thy power I will command: :Exempted be from me the arrogance :To choose from forth the royal blood of France, :My low and humble name to propagate :With any branch or image of thy state: :But such a one, thy vassal, whom I know :Is free for me to ask, thee to bestow. KING. :Here is my hand; the premises observ'd, :Thy will by my performance shall be serv'd; :So make the choice of thy own time, for I, :Thy resolv'd patient, on thee still rely. :More should I question thee, and more I must,— :Though more to know could not be more to trust,— :From whence thou cam'st, how tended on.—But rest :Unquestion'd welcome and undoubted blest.— :Give me some help here, ho!—If thou proceed :As high as word, my deed shall match thy deed. Exeunt. SCENE 2. Rousillon. A room in the COUNTESS'S palace. COUNTESS and CLOWN. COUNTESS. :Come on, sir; I shall now put you to the height of your :breeding. CLOWN. :I will show myself highly fed and lowly taught: I know my :business is but to the court. COUNTESS. :To the court! why, what place make you special, when you :put off that with such contempt? But to the court! CLOWN. :Truly, madam, if God have lent a man any manners, he may :easily put it off at court: he that cannot make a leg, put off's :cap, kiss his hand, and say nothing, has neither leg, hands, lip, :nor cap; and indeed such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for :the court; but for me, I have an answer will serve all men. COUNTESS. :Marry, that's a bountiful answer that fits all questions. CLOWN. :It is like a barber's chair, that fits all buttocks—the pin- :buttock, the quatch-buttock, the brawn-buttock, or any buttock. COUNTESS. :Will your answer serve fit to all questions? CLOWN. :As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an attorney, as your :French crown for your taffety punk, as Tib's rush for Tom's :forefinger, as a pancake for Shrove-Tuesday, a morris for Mayday, :as the nail to his hole, the cuckold to his horn, as a scolding :quean to a wrangling knave, as the nun's lip to the friar's :mouth; nay, as the pudding to his skin. COUNTESS. :Have you, I, say, an answer of such fitness for all questions? CLOWN. :From below your duke to beneath your constable, it will fit any :question. COUNTESS. :It must be an answer of most monstrous size that must fit all :demands. CLOWN. :But a trifle neither, in good faith, if the learned should :speak truth of it: here it is, and all that belongs to't. Ask me :if I am a courtier: it shall do you no harm to learn. COUNTESS. :To be young again, if we could: I will be a fool in question, :hoping to be the wiser by your answer. I pray you, sir, are you a :courtier? CLOWN. :O Lord, sir!—There's a simple putting off. More, more, a hundred :of them. COUNTESS. :Sir, I am a poor friend of yours, that loves you. CLOWN. :O Lord, sir!—Thick, thick; spare not me. COUNTESS. :I think, sir, you can eat none of this homely meat. CLOWN. :O Lord, sir!—Nay, put me to't, I warrant you. COUNTESS. :You were lately whipped, sir, as I think. CLOWN. :O Lord, sir!—Spare not me. COUNTESS. :Do you cry 'O Lord, sir!' at your whipping, and 'spare not me'? :Indeed your 'O Lord, sir!' is very sequent to your whipping. You :would answer very well to a whipping, if you were but bound to't. CLOWN. :I ne'er had worse luck in my life in my—'O Lord, sir!' I see :thing's may serve long, but not serve ever. COUNTESS. :I play the noble housewife with the time, to entertain it so :merrily with a fool. CLOWN. :O Lord, sir!—Why, there't serves well again. COUNTESS. :An end, sir! To your business. Give Helen this, :And urge her to a present answer back: :Commend me to my kinsmen and my son: :This is not much. CLOWN. :Not much commendation to them. COUNTESS. :Not much employment for you: you understand me? CLOWN. :Most fruitfully: I am there before my legs. COUNTESS. :Haste you again. severally. SCENE 3. Paris. The KING'S palace. BERTRAM, LAFEU, and PAROLLES. LAFEU. :They say miracles are past; and we have our philosophical :persons to make modern and familiar things supernatural and :causeless. Hence is it that we make trifles of terrors, :ensconcing ourselves into seeming knowledge when we should submit :ourselves to an unknown fear. PAROLLES. :Why, 'tis the rarest argument of wonder that hath shot out in our :latter times. BERTRAM. :And so 'tis. LAFEU. :To be relinquish'd of the artists,— PAROLLES. :So I say; both of Galen and Paracelsus. LAFEU. :Of all the learned and authentic fellows,— PAROLLES. :Right; so I say. LAFEU. :That gave him out incurable,— PAROLLES. :Why, there 'tis; so say I too. LAFEU. :Not to be helped,— PAROLLES. :Right; as 'twere a man assured of a,— LAFEU. :Uncertain life and sure death. PAROLLES. :Just; you say well: so would I have said. LAFEU. :I may truly say, it is a novelty to the world. PAROLLES. :It is indeed: if you will have it in showing, you shall read it :in,—What do you call there?— LAFEU. :A showing of a heavenly effect in an earthly actor. PAROLLES. :That's it; I would have said the very same. LAFEU. :Why, your dolphin is not lustier: 'fore me, I speak in :respect,— PAROLLES. :Nay, 'tis strange, 'tis very strange; that is the brief and the :tedious of it; and he's of a most facinerious spirit that will :not acknowledge it to be the,— LAFEU. :Very hand of heaven. PAROLLES. :Ay; so I say. LAFEU. :In a most weak,— PAROLLES. :And debile minister, great power, great transcendence: which :should, indeed, give us a further use to be made than alone :the recov'ry of the king, as to be,— LAFEU. :Generally thankful. PAROLLES. :I would have said it; you say well. Here comes the king. KING, HELENA, and Attendants. LAFEU. :Lustic, as the Dutchman says: I'll like a maid the better, whilst :I have a tooth in my head: why, he's able to lead her a coranto. PAROLLES. :'Mort du vinaigre!' is not this Helen? LAFEU. :'Fore God, I think so. KING. :Go, call before me all the lords in court.— an Attendant. :Sit, my preserver, by thy patient's side; :And with this healthful hand, whose banish'd sense :Thou has repeal'd, a second time receive :The confirmation of my promis'd gift, :Which but attends thy naming. severaol Lords. :Fair maid, send forth thine eye: this youthful parcel :Of noble bachelors stand at my bestowing, :O'er whom both sovereign power and father's voice :I have to use: thy frank election make; :Thou hast power to choose, and they none to forsake. HELENA. :To each of you one fair and virtuous mistress :Fall, when love please!—marry, to each, but one! LAFEU. :I'd give bay Curtal and his furniture, :My mouth no more were broken than these boys', :And writ as little beard. KING. :Peruse them well: :Not one of those but had a noble father. HELENA. :Gentlemen, :Heaven hath through me restor'd the king to health. ALL. :We understand it, and thank heaven for you. HELENA. :I am a simple maid, and therein wealthiest :That I protest I simply am a maid.— :Please it, your majesty, I have done already: :The blushes in my cheeks thus whisper me— :'We blush that thou shouldst choose; but, be refus'd, :Let the white death sit on thy cheek for ever; :We'll ne'er come there again.' KING. :Make choice; and, see: :Who shuns thy love shuns all his love in me. HELENA. :Now, Dian, from thy altar do I fly, :And to imperial Love, that god most high, :Do my sighs stream.—Sir, will you hear my suit? FIRST LORD. :And grant it. HELENA. :Thanks, sir; all the rest is mute. LAFEU. :I had rather be in this choice than throw ames-ace for my life. HELENA. :The honour, sir, that flames in your fair eyes, :Before I speak, too threateningly replies: :Love make your fortunes twenty times above :Her that so wishes, and her humble love! SECOND LORD. :No better, if you please. HELENA. :My wish receive, :Which great Love grant; and so I take my leave. LAFEU. :Do all they deny her? An they were sons of mine I'd have them :whipped; or I would send them to the Turk to make eunuchs of. HELENA. :third Lord. Be not afraid that I your hand should take; :I'll never do you wrong for your own sake: :Blessing upon your vows! and in your bed :Find fairer fortune, if you ever wed! LAFEU. :These boys are boys of ice: they'll none have her: :Sure, they are bastards to the English; the French ne'er got 'em. HELENA. :You are too young, too happy, and too good, :To make yourself a son out of my blood. FOURTH LORD. :Fair one, I think not so. LAFEU. :There's one grape yet,—I am sure thy father drank wine.—But :if thou beest not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen; I have known :thee already. HELENA. :BERTRAM. I dare not say I take you; but I give :Me and my service, ever whilst I live, :Into your guiding power.—This is the man. KING. :Why, then, young Bertram, take her; she's thy wife. BERTRAM. :My wife, my liege! I shall beseech your highness, :In such a business give me leave to use :The help of mine own eyes. KING. :Know'st thou not, Bertram, :What she has done for me? BERTRAM. :Yes, my good lord; :But never hope to know why I should marry her. KING. :Thou know'st she has rais'd me from my sickly bed. BERTRAM. :But follows it, my lord, to bring me down :Must answer for your raising? I know her well; :She had her breeding at my father's charge: :A poor physician's daughter my wife!—Disdain :Rather corrupt me ever! KING. :'Tis only title thou disdain'st in her, the which :I can build up. Strange is it that our bloods, :Of colour, weight, and heat, pour'd all together, :Would quite confound distinction, yet stand off :In differences so mighty. If she be :All that is virtuous,—save what thou dislik'st, :A poor physician's daughter,—thou dislik'st :Of virtue for the name: but do not so: :From lowest place when virtuous things proceed, :The place is dignified by the doer's deed: :Where great additions swell's, and virtue none, :It is a dropsied honour: good alone :Is good without a name; vileness is so: :The property by what it is should go, :Not by the title. She is young, wise, fair; :In these to nature she's immediate heir; :And these breed honour: that is honour's scorn :Which challenges itself as honour's born, :And is not like the sire: honours thrive :When rather from our acts we them derive :Than our fore-goers: the mere word's a slave, :Debauch'd on every tomb; on every grave :A lying trophy; and as oft is dumb :Where dust and damn'd oblivion is the tomb :Of honour'd bones indeed. What should be said? :If thou canst like this creature as a maid, :I can create the rest: virtue and she :Is her own dower; honour and wealth from me. BERTRAM. :I cannot love her, nor will strive to do 't. KING. :Thou wrong'st thyself, if thou shouldst strive to choose. HELENA. :That you are well restor'd, my lord, I am glad: :Let the rest go. KING. :My honour's at the stake; which to defeat, :I must produce my power. Here, take her hand, :Proud scornful boy, unworthy this good gift; :That dost in vile misprision shackle up :My love and her desert; that canst not dream :We, poising us in her defective scale, :Shall weigh thee to the beam; that wilt not know :It is in us to plant thine honour where :We please to have it grow. Check thy contempt: :Obey our will, which travails in thy good; :Believe not thy disdain, but presently :Do thine own fortunes that obedient right :Which both thy duty owes and our power claims :Or I will throw thee from my care for ever, :Into the staggers and the careless lapse :Of youth and ignorance; both my revenge and hate :Loosing upon thee in the name of justice, :Without all terms of pity. Speak! thine answer! BERTRAM. :Pardon, my gracious lord; for I submit :My fancy to your eyes: when I consider :What great creation, and what dole of honour :Flies where you bid it, I find that she, which late :Was in my nobler thoughts most base, is now :The praised of the king; who, so ennobled, :Is as 'twere born so. KING. :Take her by the hand, :And tell her she is thine: to whom I promise :A counterpoise; if not to thy estate, :A balance more replete. BERTRAM. :I take her hand. KING. :Good fortune and the favour of the king :Smile upon this contract; whose ceremony :Shall seem expedient on the now-born brief, :And be perform'd to-night: the solemn feast :Shall more attend upon the coming space, :Expecting absent friends. As thou lov'st her, :Thy love's to me religious; else, does err. KING, BERTAM, HELENA, Lords, and Attendants. LAFEU. :Do you hear, monsieur? a word with you. PAROLLES. :Your pleasure, sir? LAFEU. :Your lord and master did well to make his recantation. PAROLLES. :Recantation!—my lord! my master! LAFEU. :Ay; is it not a language I speak? PAROLLES. :A most harsh one, and not to be understood without bloody :succeeding. My master! LAFEU. :Are you companion to the Count Rousillon? PAROLLES. :To any count; to all counts; to what is man. LAFEU. :To what is count's man: count's master is of another style. PAROLLES. :You are too old, sir; let it satisfy you, you are too old. LAFEU. :I must tell thee, sirrah, I write man; to which title age cannot :bring thee. PAROLLES. :What I dare too well do, I dare not do. LAFEU. :I did think thee, for two ordinaries, to be a pretty wise :fellow; thou didst make tolerable vent of thy travel; it might :pass: yet the scarfs and the bannerets about thee did manifoldly :dissuade me from believing thee a vessel of too great a burden. I :have now found thee; when I lose thee again I care not: yet art :thou good for nothing but taking up; and that thou art scarce :worth. PAROLLES. :Hadst thou not the privilege of antiquity upon thee,— LAFEU. :Do not plunge thyself too far in anger, lest thou hasten thy :trial; which if—Lord have mercy on thee for a hen! So, my good :window of lattice, fare thee well: thy casement I need not open, :for I look through thee. Give me thy hand. PAROLLES. :My lord, you give me most egregious indignity. LAFEU. :Ay, with all my heart; and thou art worthy of it. PAROLLES. :I have not, my lord, deserved it. LAFEU. :Yes, good faith, every dram of it: and I will not bate thee :a scruple. PAROLLES. :Well, I shall be wiser. LAFEU. :E'en as soon as thou canst, for thou hast to pull at a smack :o' th' contrary. If ever thou beest bound in thy scarf and :beaten, thou shalt find what it is to be proud of thy bondage. I :have a desire to hold my acquaintance with thee, or rather my :knowledge, that I may say in the default, he is a man I know. PAROLLES. :My lord, you do me most insupportable vexation. LAFEU. :I would it were hell-pains for thy sake, and my poor doing :eternal: for doing I am past; as I will by thee, in what motion :age will give me leave. Exit. PAROLLES. :Well, thou hast a son shall take this disgrace off me; :scurvy, old, filthy, scurvy lord!—Well, I must be patient; there :is no fettering of authority. I'll beat him, by my life, if I can :meet him with any convenience, an he were double and double a :lord. I'll have no more pity of his age than I would have of— :I'll beat him, an if I could but meet him again. LAFEU. LAFEU. :Sirrah, your lord and master's married; there's news for you; you :have a new mistress. PAROLLES. :I most unfeignedly beseech your lordship to make some reservation :of your wrongs: he is my good lord: whom I serve above is my :master. LAFEU. :Who? God? PAROLLES. :Ay, sir. LAFEU. :The devil it is that's thy master. Why dost thou garter up thy :arms o' this fashion? dost make hose of thy sleeves? do other :servants so? Thou wert best set thy lower part where thy nose :stands. By mine honour, if I were but two hours younger, I'd beat :thee: methink'st thou art a general offence, and every man should :beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe :themselves upon thee. PAROLLES. :This is hard and undeserved measure, my lord. LAFEU. :Go to, sir; you were beaten in Italy for picking a kernel :out of a pomegranate; you are a vagabond, and no true traveller: :you are more saucy with lords and honourable personages than the :heraldry of your birth and virtue gives you commission. You are :not worth another word, else I'd call you knave. I leave you. Exit. PAROLLES. :Good, very good, it is so then.—Good, very good; let it :be concealed awhile. BERTRAM. BERTRAM. :Undone, and forfeited to cares for ever! PAROLLES. :What's the matter, sweet heart? BERTRAM. :Although before the solemn priest I have sworn, :I will not bed her. PAROLLES. :What, what, sweet heart? BERTRAM. :O my Parolles, they have married me!— :I'll to the Tuscan wars, and never bed her. PAROLLES. :France is a dog-hole, and it no more merits :The tread of a man's foot:—to the wars! BERTRAM. :There's letters from my mother; what the import is :I know not yet. PAROLLES. :Ay, that would be known. To the wars, my boy, to the wars! :He wears his honour in a box unseen :That hugs his kicksy-wicksy here at home, :Spending his manly marrow in her arms, :Which should sustain the bound and high curvet :Of Mars's fiery steed. To other regions! :France is a stable; we that dwell in't, jades; :Therefore, to the war! BERTRAM. :It shall be so; I'll send her to my house, :Acquaint my mother with my hate to her, :And wherefore I am fled; write to the king :That which I durst not speak: his present gift :Shall furnish me to those Italian fields :Where noble fellows strike: war is no strife :To the dark house and the detested wife. PAROLLES. :Will this caprichio hold in thee, art sure? BERTRAM. :Go with me to my chamber and advise me. :I'll send her straight away: to-morrow :I'll to the wars, she to her single sorrow. PAROLLES. :Why, these balls bound; there's noise in it. 'Tis hard: :A young man married is a man that's marr'd: :Therefore away, and leave her bravely; go: :The king has done you wrong: but, hush, 'tis so. Exeunt. SCENE 4. The same. Another room in the same. HELENA and CLOWN. HELENA. :My mother greets me kindly: is she well? CLOWN. :She is not well, but yet she has her health: she's very :merry, but yet she is not well: but thanks be given, she's very :well, and wants nothing i' the world; but yet she is not well. HELENA. :If she be very well, what does she ail that she's not very well? CLOWN. :Truly, she's very well indeed, but for two things. HELENA. :What two things? CLOWN. :One, that she's not in heaven, whither God send her quickly! :The other, that she's in earth, from whence God send her quickly! PAROLLES. PAROLLES. :Bless you, my fortunate lady! HELENA. :I hope, sir, I have your good will to have mine own good :fortunes. PAROLLES. :You had my prayers to lead them on; and to keep them on, :have them still. O, my knave,—how does my old lady? CLOWN. :So that you had her wrinkles and I her money, I would she did as :you say. PAROLLES. :Why, I say nothing. CLOWN. :Marry, you are the wiser man; for many a man's tongue shakes out :his master's undoing: to say nothing, to do nothing, to know :nothing, and to have nothing, is to be a great part of your :title; which is within a very little of nothing. PAROLLES. :Away! thou art a knave. CLOWN. :You should have said, sir, before a knave thou art a knave; :that is before me thou art a knave: this had been truth, sir. PAROLLES. :Go to, thou art a witty fool; I have found thee. CLOWN. :Did you find me in yourself, sir? or were you taught to find me? :The search, sir, was profitable; and much fool may you find in :you, even to the world's pleasure and the increase of laughter. PAROLLES. :A good knave, i' faith, and well fed.— :Madam, my lord will go away to-night: :A very serious business calls on him. :The great prerogative and right of love, :Which, as your due, time claims, he does acknowledge; :But puts it off to a compell'd restraint; :Whose want, and whose delay, is strew'd with sweets; :Which they distil now in the curbed time, :To make the coming hour o'erflow with joy :And pleasure drown the brim. HELENA. :What's his will else? PAROLLES. :That you will take your instant leave o' the king, :And make this haste as your own good proceeding, :Strengthen'd with what apology you think :May make it probable need. HELENA. :What more commands he? PAROLLES. :That, having this obtain'd, you presently :Attend his further pleasure. HELENA. :In everything I wait upon his will. PAROLLES. :I shall report it so. HELENA. :I pray you.—Come, sirrah. Exeunt. SCENE 5. Another room in the same. LAFEU and BERTRAM. LAFEU. :But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier. BERTRAM. :Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof. LAFEU. :You have it from his own deliverance. BERTRAM. :And by other warranted testimony. LAFEU. :Then my dial goes not true: I took this lark for a bunting. BERTRAM. :I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, :and accordingly valiant. LAFEU. :I have, then, sinned against his experience and transgressed :against his valour; and my state that way is dangerous, since I :cannot yet find in my heart to repent. Here he comes; I pray you :make us friends; I will pursue the amity PAROLLES. PAROLLES. :BERTRAM. These things shall be done, sir. LAFEU. :Pray you, sir, who's his tailor? PAROLLES. :Sir! LAFEU. :O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, :a very good tailor. BERTRAM. :to PAROLLES. Is she gone to the king? PAROLLES. :She is. BERTRAM. :Will she away to-night? PAROLLES. :As you'll have her. BERTRAM. :I have writ my letters, casketed my treasure, :Given order for our horses; and to-night, :When I should take possession of the bride, :End ere I do begin. LAFEU. :A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; :but one that lies three-thirds and uses a known truth to pass a :thousand nothings with, should be once heard and thrice beaten.— :God save you, Captain. BERTRAM. :Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur? PAROLLES. :I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord's displeasure. LAFEU. :You have made shift to run into 't, boots and spurs and all, :like him that leapt into the custard; and out of it you'll run :again, rather than suffer question for your residence. BERTRAM. :It may be you have mistaken him, my lord. LAFEU. :And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers. :Fare you well, my lord; and believe this of me, there can be no :kernal in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes; :trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; I have kept of them :tame, and know their natures.—Farewell, monsieur; I have spoken :better of you than you have or will to deserve at my hand; but we :must do good against evil. Exit. PAROLLES. :An idle lord, I swear. BERTRAM. :I think so. PAROLLES. :Why, do you not know him? BERTRAM. :Yes, I do know him well; and common speech :Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog. HELENA. HELENA. :I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, :Spoke with the king, and have procur'd his leave :For present parting; only he desires :Some private speech with you. BERTRAM. :I shall obey his will. :You must not marvel, Helen, at my course, :Which holds not colour with the time, nor does :The ministration and required office :On my particular. Prepared I was not :For such a business; therefore am I found :So much unsettled: this drives me to entreat you: :That presently you take your way for home, :And rather muse than ask why I entreat you: :For my respects are better than they seem; :And my appointments have in them a need :Greater than shows itself at the first view :To you that know them not. This to my mother: a letter. :'Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so :I leave you to your wisdom. HELENA. :Sir, I can nothing say :But that I am your most obedient servant. BERTRAM. :Come, come, no more of that. HELENA. :And ever shall :With true observance seek to eke out that :Wherein toward me my homely stars have fail'd :To equal my great fortune. BERTRAM. :Let that go: :My haste is very great. Farewell; hie home. HELENA. :Pray, sir, your pardon. BERTRAM. :Well, what would you say? HELENA. :I am not worthy of the wealth I owe; :Nor dare I say 'tis mine, and yet it is; :But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal :What law does vouch mine own. BERTRAM. :What would you have? HELENA. :Something; and scarce so much:—nothing, indeed.— :I would not tell you what I would, my lord:—Faith, yes;— :Strangers and foes do sunder and not kiss. BERTRAM. :I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse. HELENA. :I shall not break your bidding, good my lord. BERTRAM. :Where are my other men, monsieur?— :Farewell, HELENA. :Go thou toward home, where I will never come :Whilst I can shake my sword or hear the drum:— :Away, and for our flight. PAROLLES. :Bravely, coragio! Exeunt. Category:Article Subpages